Had two frustrating experiences this week in a group with noise

Just read this which is very helpful. How to Explain Hearing Loss So Others Can Understand It | Psychology Today40

These are excellent! Thank you!

These are great explanations about hearing loss.
The Wheel of Fortune is pretty good.

I always used the keys of a piano. Hearing loss is like having missing keys. The worse your hearing loss, more keys are missing.

Thanks for the attachment.

These responses all give me a lot to think about. We all seem to share the frustration of people not understanding hearing loss. I had never thought before about saying I am a little bit deaf and might just try that. I lost most of my hearing 30 years ago and didn’t run into these problems as much as I do now.

There are flashing lights that are really bright that can be connected. i live in an apartment building and we have a siren and flashing lights which were triggered by a false alarm. I think the lights are very effective.

I had deaf friends years ago who had a “door light” that flashed when someone rang their doorbell. Smoke detectors and fire alarms may likely have this option.

Montieth, thank you for sharing this very important story that all hearing aid wearers have experienced. Comments made by others, and especially by people who profess to be your friends, are not only hurtful, but they are extremely narrow minded! Since getting my first hearing aids 20 years ago, I have found myself feeling alone, confused, and left out of events because of my hearing loss. With the advent of newer technology, I use an application that helps me tailor the sounds my hearing aids process. I can tell you that people’s attitudes towards another’s physical shortcoming, whether we are born that way, or we develop a handicap later in life, shows just how childish and cruel humans can be. The way you took time to explain to others what you are experiencing is the perfect response. The way those people decide to act, make adjustments in how they treat you, is totally up to them.

Check out Diglo.com3, which sells alarms and alerting devices for people with hearing loss. They have alarms with bed shakers you put under a pillow, or flashing lights, or very loud alarms/ lower pitched alarms. Also Apple Watches can provide alarms that vibrate. Many of these items are available on Amazon, but start with Diglo (formerly Harris Communications) to find out what is available for your needs.

Thanks Neville. Much appreciated.

Dave

I deliberately chose to select a Medicare Advantage plan and to pay a relatively small additional premium to have coverage for eyeglasses/contact lenses, dental benefits, and hearing aids. I’m not particularly happy to have to pay extra for it, after years of insurance coverage provided by my employer, but I’m thankful to have the option to ease the overall cost.

I’m so sorry that happened to you! It’s a reflection of their character (or lack thereof) and certainly not of yours.

Didn’t Forest Gump say something applicable?

I’ve learned a lot from other members here. I’m old. I pick my fights; I’m trying to improve my communication skills. Work. Home.

and someone said that they met someone hard of hearing that had a hat with a sign on it. “Hard of Hearing”

(In a restaurant yesterday I reminded a waiter that “I’m hard of hearing” His response, “That’s OK.”
My response. “No it’s not”. It fell on his deaf ears.

Thanks for this. Just took a quick look. Most seem to involve bed shakers – I had one of those as an alarm clock device, but found I could sleep through it if I was cocooned by pillows and blankets. Maybe a stronger one would work. I’m also not convinced I’d wake up with a strobe light. In my fantasy, a transmitter from our alarm co hardwired system would beam to something like an Apple watch. But I’ll pursue this more. Thanks for your help.

Your I-phone and probably an Android phone, will have under Settings, Accessibility, Sound Recognition where you can set your phone to alert you to a fire alarm. You might be able to do this for an Apple Watch too